When student ambassador Alexa Simen was chosen to create a mural at Contra Costa College, to her it seemed as though it were fate.
“It felt like the stars aligned because they knew that I’d previously done mural paintings,” Simen stated during an interview with The Advocate. Simen, who is majoring in Art Therapy, also works in the EOPS (Extended Opportunities, Programs and Services) office in the Student Administration building on campus.
Charles Ramirez, Simen’s supervisor in the EOPS office, immediately noticed a large blank wall in front of the office when he first stepped into his role as Academic and Student Services Manager.
“I felt it had potential to bring more life and energy to our space,” Ramirez said in an email interview. “About a year and a half ago, I started imagining how a mural could make the area more inviting for students and better reflect our program’s spirit.”
According to Ramirez, Simen was involved from the very beginning of the project.
“It was important to me that this mural be student-led, and Alexa immediately came to mind. She is a highly involved student on campus, works in the Student Life department, and I already knew she was a talented artist,” said Ramirez.
“Alexa is passionate, creative, and deeply committed to her craft, and that is exactly the type of student we wanted to represent this project. Her vision aligned beautifully with what we hoped the mural would become,” Ramirez said. “The EOPS program is rooted in going above and beyond to help students succeed in their academic journey. We focus on support, encouragement, and motivation, and I wanted the mural to embody those values.”
Ramirez explains that conversations about the idea began in Summer/Fall 2024 and after planning and coordination, implementation officially started in Spring 2025. Ramirez feels that the mural, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the semester (December 12), is making great progress.
“My goal was for the mural to inspire our student population and visually represent what EOPS stands for,” Ramirez explained. “Alexa understood that vision from the start and created a piece that reflects the heart of our program. Looking ahead, I would like to host an official unveiling event next semester to share the mural with the entire campus community. My hope is to highlight not only the meaning behind Alexa’s work but also the pride we feel knowing that a CCC student created it. I want the mural to serve as a source of inspiration, connection, and community pride.”
Simen said she drew inspiration from the scenery at the college.
“Designing it, I remember looking at the business card from Contra Costa College and seeing a little mountain and thinking, ‘Oh, maybe I can do something like that, some nice scenery.’ Plus, I think it’s a good starter because it’s simple and doesn’t require too much detail,” Simen said. “I thought if I was to coordinate with other students who might be feeling intimidated, this could simplify it in a way so that all they had to do was put in some nice touches here and there. However, this has been mentally challenging because there are moments where I’m literally staring at the wall watching paint dry, waiting to reapply.”
Simen has previous experience with two different mural projects.
“Our teacher at Pinole Valley High School would organize them as a way to connect with the community. The first was for our school because we never really had an actual building. We were known for our mobile classrooms – so we called ourselves ‘Portable Valley’. I was assigned to do a cat and that’s funny because almost everyone knew I love cats – so I was biased. Plus, there were a lot of alley cats nearby…so I called the mural, ‘Pinole Valley Cat’ (pun intended). That was my first time learning how to paint a mural and also how to do texture,” Simen said.
“The second mural was for the Pinole Police Department and it was to have a message about how police officers are there to protect you, to help de-stigmatize them.”
Simen said this is the first mural project she has done independently, and she relied on advice from former art teachers to collect her materials.
“The real star of this is the paint thinner. I use it as my substitute for water when I get into details like blending, glazing and whatever feels right,” Simen said. “However, I never realized there were some things I still needed to still learn; for example, I have a learning disability with converting measurements. Math is not my strong suit. One of the Math professors was able to help make sure it was even. I had to graph it like a grid to help me keep on track, so I know where I’m going to paint.”
Simen said every artist does things differently in a way that “makes sense” to them.
“I always say, “trust the process”. It may be weird and questionable, but it gets the job done,” said Simen. “You can still have all the ingredients, but there’s so many different methods to go about it – which ties into the textures and why these parts of the mural are taped off and blocked out. Once I’m done with the details, I’m going to use glitter to give it more texture. You don’t really see it yet because it’s covered with masking tape, but there’s a little comet, kind of like a little shooting star.”
Simen said she calls the mural “Reach for the Stars.”
“CCC President Kimberly Rogers was really on board with that. She said it was very tranquil and peaceful,” Simen explained. “I wanted something of a comforting message, something positive.
“That’s what I love about art: it has different interpretations and meanings and each little symbol has its own meaning within the artwork,” Simen said. “Going into details, clouds represent hope and peace and the mountain is inspirational, like reaching for the stars. Just a lot of different ways for students to feel some type of comfort as well as encouragement.”
